What is the difference between Java enumeration types and constants?

Both enumeration types and constants in Java represent fixed values, but enumeration types are type-safe objects with methods and properties, while constants are unchangeable variables, not objects, and have more type flexibility.

The difference between Java enumeration types and constants

In Java, enumeration types and constants are used Represents a fixed value, but there are some key differences between them:

Enumeration type

• An enumeration type is a set of constants with a name and value .
• Enumeration values ​​are objects whose methods and properties can be accessed using the . operator.
• Enumeration types are type-safe, which means that enumeration values ​​can only be assigned to variables of that type.

Constant

• Constant is an unchangeable variable whose value is determined at compile time.
• Constants are not objects and therefore cannot access methods or properties.
• Constant values ​​can be of any type, including primitive types, String and custom classes.

Practical case:

Use enumeration types to represent days of the week:

enum DayOfWeek {
    MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY
}

DayOfWeek day = DayOfWeek.MONDAY;
System.out.println(day.name()); // MONDAY

Use constants to represent the maximum file size:

final int MAX_FILE_SIZE = 1024 * 1024 * 10; // 10MB

if (file.size() > MAX_FILE_SIZE) {
    // 文件太大
}

Key differences:

Features	Enumeration types	Constant
Type safety	Yes	No
Object	Yes	No
Method and property access	Yes	No
Yes Transgender	Unchangeable	Unchangeable

##Conclusion:

As needed Features Selecting enumeration types or constants is critical to writing clear, maintainable Java code. Enumeration types provide greater type safety and extensibility, while constants are more flexible and simpler.

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